Environmental Factor Guideline - Benthic Communities and Habitats

The purpose of this guideline is to communicate how the factor Benthic Communities and Habitats is considered by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) in the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process. It has superseded EAG 7.

Specifically, the guideline:

describes the factor Benthic Communities and Habitats and explains the associated objective

describes EIA considerations for this factor

discusses the environmental values of benthic communities and habitats, and their significance

describes issues commonly encountered by the EPA during EIA of this factor

identifies activities that can impact on benthic communities and habitats

provides a summary of the type of information that may be required by the EPA to undertake EIA related to this factor.